Nightmare Resurrection
by missingnown
Summary: When Slowking thought the worst was over, it returns and claims his son Slowpoke. However, Slowking believes that his son is in safe hands. Slowpoke and 12 more Pokemon are forced to play a game where the "murderer" has to kill the others so as to survive. Can Slowking finally realise the peril his son is facing, or is Slowpoke already dead? Is it too late? Read on to find out!
1. A Strange Discovery

Nightmare Resurrection

Chapter 1 (A Strange Discovery)

(Slowpoke's Point of View [POV] )

Thin white veils of magnolia white clouds hung in the sapphire blue sky. The golden sun was a fireball, emanating searing rays of energy that pierced through my home's windows, exposing all the dusty areas in the room. Oh, I think I sense a human being observing me. Well, before I carry on with my actions I would just like to tell you that my life is tremendously boring. Every action I take requires many minutes before it is properly executed. Hence, the untidy state of my house. Since you, human being, are so interested in my life, I would be a nice host and give you great detail about what I am doing and why I am doing that. I think it might help you in your research paper on Slowpokes. Yeah, I am a Slowpoke, one of the laziest Pokemon on this planet, only beaten by a select few such as Slakoth and Munchlax.

My dad Slowking always emphasised the importance of treating guests well. So, distinguished guest, I will do my best to brighten up your life (which I personally think must be very boring because you are so bored that you want to look into my life. Rather, why not you go and take a look at Caterpie or Weedle's life. They change forms and do things quickly. Totally unlike me)

Right now, I happen to be at home in the study room and I am currently playing chess with my father Slowking. It was the second turn of the game and Slowking was playing at an unusually fast rate. One move in a whopping two minutes! That's fast! I only take 10 minutes to make a move.

While Slowking was deciding on his move. I caught sight of a shiny circular object near the chessboard. It was glowing with a brilliant amber. I crawled nearer and saw that it was an amulet. Wow! It looked beautiful.

I was curious about the origin of the object, so I asked Slowking: "Daddy! What is that object?"

"Err… let me see. This yellow amulet has words in it. Let me read them… Winner of the Fantasy Games. Reward: 1 year of luxury Pokefood. Oh… so that explains the food we got! One mysterious van would turn up every single day to deliver tasty food to us. I think I won this in an event." Slowking replied.

That sounds cool. I wanted to join the event too. After all, our luxury Pokefood would not last forever. I needed to win it again. And if my dad can win the event, why can't I?

"Can I join it? Please?" I clamoured.

"Okay, let me contact the organizer. It seems to be this weird Pokemon called Mewtwo. Let me see his contact number. Err… 'Register here at 6612345'. Okay, let me sign you up for this event."

Slowking dialed the number, and a clockwork voice of Mr. Mime rang loud and clear. "Thank you for signing up for this Fantasy games. It would be held in 2 days time. We wish you a pleasant day."

YES! One more year of delicious food, here I come!

Author's note: Please leave some reviews and suggestions! I am new to fanfiction so I definitely have room for improvement. Thank you.

This is a sequel from the story Desperate Murderer. If you are unsure what is happening, you might want to look at the earlier story here.

s/9769515/1/Desperate-Murderer

Since the link isn't working, due to hyperlink issues, just put the url " F-A-N-F-I-C-T-I-O-N-.-N-E-T" in front. Sorry for the inconvenience caused


	2. The Party Resumes

Chapter 2 ( The Party Resumes)

(Slowpoke's POV)

The night before the Fantasy Games, I was having a tough time trying to fall asleep. I tossed and turned, wondering what could I do to boost my chances of winning the event. I badly wanted the Pokefood. They were yummy! I thought of using my Psychic powers to attempt a manipulation of the game. But, I didn't even know what the objectives of the contest was. I told myself that the best way to maximise my chances of winning was to get sufficient sleep. Nevetheless, a forced attempt to sleep usually fails, and today was no exception. Only after 2 arduous hours did I manage to fall asleep, thankfully evading the grasp of Darkrai. I dreamt of myself lifting the amber amulet in triumph, with my dad beaming with pride...

But then, the scene completely changed. I was now at the foot of a mountain cliff. A ghostly white quadruped, mammalian Pokémon stood at the summit of the tall mountain. It looked around, then opened its tiny mouth and let out a gigantic roar. It whirled its head around, and looked straight into my eyes. It's blood red eyes had a grave look as his curved blue horn sparkled. It then spoke with urgency: " Don't walk into your graveyard."

My mouth gaped open. I stuttered : "What do you mean? Who are you?"

But the mysterious Pokemon had already disappeared... "Wait, don't go!" I cried... before the ground beneath me cracked and I fell into a dark void...

The next day, I was soundly awoken (pardon the pun) by the chirping of Pidgeys outside my home. I opened my eyes slowly. So, It was a dream! But what was that Pokemon trying to say? Or is it just a random nightmare? I shrugged the dream off. Remembering the Fantasy Games, I looked at my alarm clock. It read 9 a.m. My thoughts of my dreadful dream vanished instantly Oh no! I was supposed to reach the Fantasy at 9.30a.m . But how would I go there?

Fortunately, I spied two Houndooms waiting outside my house with a van next to them. I suppose they are there to bring me there. Slowking entered my room.

"Slowpoke, remember to be careful while you are there. Do not do any dangerous antics, and..." he called

"Yeah dad, I know... Stay safe..Why do you always say the same things?" I drawled.

"Because my advice is always relevant." Slowking grinned. "Okay, bye bye Slowpoke. Have fun!"

I crawled towards the Houndooms as fast as my limbs could carry me. I was sure that if that was a race between Slowpokes, I would have won by a mile.

As I jumped into the van, a sinister smile flashed across one Houndoom's face. Was that smile malevolent? A chill raced down my spine. However, considering the fact that Houndooms already look evil in the first place, maybe their genuine smile just looked diabolical. It wasn't very fair to just harbour suspicions based on their looks. I brushed the thought away, and smiled at the thought of competing in the Fantasy Games.

After some time, we finally arrived at the Fantasy.

The Fantasy was a majestic castle, with charcoal black walls. From my position, the mammoth castle looked magnificent. It exuded a scary but powerful aura which I think would deter invaders if they were to attack. I began having second thoughts about this event and was about to turn back when the Houndooms opened the door...

The interior of the Fantasy was a complete contrast to the appearance of the castle. As I entered what seemed like a park, I was awed by the lush greenery inside. Beautiful flowers and healthy trees filled the scenery. There was an abundance of exotic berries hanging from the trees. Natural beauty aside, there was a diversity of cool interactive play machines scattered around the park. Some of them would sing songs when you pressed a button, others would tell you intriguing stories that would leave you engrossed for hours.

The other Pokemon inside were having the time of their lives. Chimchar, Froakie and Treecko were playing a game of tag. Chimchar was trying to tag Froakie but was having some trouble due to Froakie's nimble movements. However, Chimchar's dexterity soon enabled him to catch up with Froakie. Chimchar stretched his long skinny arms and tapped Froakie on his back. Froakie squealed and began his chase after Treecko. Treecko taunted : "Can't catch me!" as she fled up the tree. Treecko broke into peals of laughter as she swung from tree to tree, moving away from the blue frog. Froakie sprang up and reached for Treecko's tail, but failed to tag her. Froakie fell and yelped in pain. Luckily, the milky cape of bubbles on Froakie's back helped to reduce the impact. Nevertheless, the three "ninjas" (as they called themselves) were still having tons of fun. Mareep was frolicking on the grass, accidentally bumping into Pokemon and releasing static from her golden fur to paralyse them due to her ability Static. Mareep would then hurriedly (albeit embarrasingly) apologise and proceed to use Heal Bell to cure the unfortunate Pokemon of paralysis. Drilbur was making molehills in the grass, and popping out from nowhere to scare Pokemon that happened to walk by. He had always liked to do this ever since he was born. Growlithe swaggered near the slide and demanded Caterpie to scram so that he can ride on the slide. The timid Caterpie was frightened, but Mienfoo happened to see this incident and went to confront Growlithe. "Let Caterpie have his ride." Mienfoo was one who always stood up to bullies. He believed that bullies were only putting up a strong front but would crumble when there was a strong adversary like him. Growlithe quickly backed off and went elsewhere to seek some fun.

Axew and Kecleon were having a casual conversation. "Woah, that was a bad fall Froakie had." Kecleon commented. "Nah, it is all Treecko's fault. She shouldn't have hidden in the trees like a coward." Axew replied, with a tone that showed her dislike for Treecko. I could tell that Axew and Treecko probably had some dislike for one another, but I didn't know why. The nearby Gligar threw an apple at Axew, and laughed at Axew's irritated response. He then flew off to annoy other Pokemon.

For some strange reason, there were two Pokemon huddling in a corner. I saw Croagunk and Natu in a corner idling about. Croagunk was looking around with a small smile on his face. Maybe he was tired. However, Natu seemed fearful. She looked afraid of some imminent danger. I recalled the sinister smile on Houndoom's face. Could there be any connection?

I convinced myself that Natu was being paranoid and went for a song session with one of the machines.

Dinner soon arrived A waterfall of fruit juice was for us to enjoy. Different berries were served for Pokemon with different tastebuds. Food was abundant and diverse. Treecko wondered aloud: "Anyone knows where is Mewtwo the organiser?" Axew replied rudely: "Probably wondering why he invited idiots like you." Treecko got angry: "Hey what is your problem? What is it that I have done that deserves your constant sneering and criticism?" ZAP! Both Treecko and Axew received a light jolt of energy, paralysing them. "This Thunder Wave is to remind you two gals to make peace and enjoy this party." said Mareep. "Grr... Okay..." Treecko and Axew replied in unison. Mareep then used Heal Bell, and cheered: " Great! Now we should just enjoy the food, and get a good night's rest. We should wait for tomorrow to see what games we are gonna play."

Nightfall soon arrived and feeling tired, we went to the respective rooms prepared for us and promptly fell asleep, wondering what thrills await us the next day...Woah, this sure is the best time of my life!

Author's note: Please leave some comments and tips for improvement. I value constructive feedback. Thank you :)


	3. The Horror Begins

Chapter 3 ( The Horror Begins)

(Slowpoke's POV)

The same ghostly white quadruped, mammalian Pokémon stood at the exact mountain cliff. It looked around, then opened its tiny mouth and let out the identical gigantic roar.

It whirled its head around, and looked straight into my eyes. It's blood red eyes had signs of despair It then spoke with a defeated tone: " Too late, I tried to warn you. You didn't heed my warning."

"Wait, don't go yet! Who are you?" I stammered.

"I am Absol, the Disaster Pokemon. I warn people of mortal imminent danger. Unfortunately, due to my bad reputation, to avoid being chased away violently, I had to resort to appearing in your dreams." the feline Pokemon with the scythe-like tail replied.

"So, why am I in danger? I seem to be having a good time." I queried. I needed to get answers.

"The source of your troubles is the Fantasy Games. But I myself am unable to detect the exact danger of this event. Some immensely powerful Psychic force is obstructing my forecast." Absol sighed with his tail drooping.

I shuddered. The Psychic Pokemon is definitely Mewtwo. But what would he do to us?

"By the way, I took over Gengar as the Master of the Dead, so I figure I might see you pretty soon." Absol said, void of emotions.

"WHAT? I AM NOT GOING TO DIE!"...

My scream woke me up. It is that nightmare again! Stop it Darkrai, you ain't funny. Stop conjuring prophecies of my "impending doom". Go haunt someone else.

I got out of bed, and was waiting expectantly for the Fantasy Games to begin. Time to win Pokefood!

(Narrator)

The Pokemon gathered in the middle of the park, looking eagerly at the other fun things they missed out on the first day. But before they could do anything, a blinding light flashed and poof, Mewtwo appeared.

The Pokemon were momentarily stunned. They examined the humanlike creature with fascination. The purple eyes of Mewtwo stared back at them. The big tail of Mewtwo swung around lazily.

After the Pokemon got over their surprise, they yelled in delight as they rushed towards what seemed like their "new playmate". Some pulled Mewtwo's tail, some tickled Mewtwo's hands, some tried to strike a conversation with it, telling Mewtwo about how great the party is until Mewtwo shrieked with terror.

Mewtwo flailed its hands and shook off all the Pokemon. Its purple eyes narrowed.

"I am NOT your playmate or plaything!" it roared.

The Pokemon backed off in fear, wondering who was the naughty one that probably irritated Mewtwo.

"What is the matter Mewtwo? Don't you like us to have fun?" Mareep asked, voice filled with concern. "Is everything okay? Did something terrible happen to you?" she rattled off like a machine gun.

Mareep's concerns were directed towards the wrong person. Sadly, being the naive and innocent little sheep, she didn't realise that it is she who needed more care, as she would soon find out.

Mewtwo, realising the humour in the situation, cracked up in guffaws.

"Oh, nothing to worry. The Fantasy Games would surely go on." Mewtwo gave a hint of a smile.

The Pokemon erupted into cheers. Everything seemed to be okay.

"Since you Pokemon are so enthusiastic about starting the Games now, I shall grant your wishes..." More cheers. "There is only one event to compete in in the Games, and you Pokemon would play this game called "Murderer". "

"Haha, time to kill you all. [scratch], you die Froakie!" Chimchar giggled as he scratched Froakie lightly.

"The rules are simple. Yesterday, one of you was already selected. If you had a dream that showed me shouting "YOU ARE THE MURDERER", then you are the one. Here, I will show you an example." Mewtwo then projected a video clip showing Mewtwo shouting in the vision.

"Now before any of you interrupt, let me quickly say that your job as the appointed murderer is to go around killing other Pokemon..." Chimchar broke into hysterical giggles. He lightly hit Treecko on her face. "Die Treecko! Whee! This is fun!" only to be shell shocked upon hearing Mewtwo's next word.

"Literally." That short, deadly word was enough to stop Chimchar in his tracks. Chimchar's eyes widened in shock. The other Pokemon started trembling like leaves in a gust.

"You have to kill the other Pokemon without them finding out your identity. Once there is only one innocent left, the murderer wins and the last survivor still dies because the identity of the murderer becomes obvious." Mewtwo continued steadily, ignoring the fear displayed on the other Pokemon's faces.

"As a general warning, any murderer who gives himself up too early would be instantly killed. However, the game still goes on. Unless I see that the murderer is caught due to his or her incompetence, I would not let the game end. However, if the murderer has at least killed half of you Pokemon before giving himself or herself up, probably due to a guilty conscience, I would be magnanimous and set the remaining Pokemon free."

"Furthermore, if you suspect that Pokemon X is the murderer, the only way to defeat X is to kill X. In the past there was this accusation system but I have decided to change some rules of the game this year."

"A few other rules are: The murderer can never plan a mass murder. He or she can only kill Pokemon one at a time. This is to ensure that the others have a chance to catch him. Don't you Pokemon agree that a poisoning spree is just too boring?"

"The quality of your food decreases rapidly for every day without a murder happening. This is to encourage the murderer to act quickly. Nevertheless, he or she need not plan a murder all the time. Do take note that thievery of food is strictly forbidden, and would result in an instant death."

"I have also disabled the telepathic abilities of certain Pokemon, namely Natu and Slowpoke. So no one can find out who the murderer is just by reading their minds. However, good news for you Slowpoke, for I have removed your famous 5 second reaction time. You are now the only Slowpoke in this world that can react at a normal speed, just like other Pokemon."

"You are crazy! My dad would save me!" Slowpoke screamed, half with rage, half with fright.

"Many people have branded me crazy. But at the end of the day, nothing can stop my craze. Those critics were slain on the spot. By the way, your dad Slowking doesn't even know you are here. He probably thinks you are in seventh heaven. Coincidentally, he was in this event one year ago. He even won the Fantasy Games! But the question is, would you repeat history?" Mewtwo cackled.

"This doesn't make sense. How would Slowking forget such a traumatic event?" Slowpoke uttered.

"This is because all his memories are locked up into a Memory Chamber in my room. All victors of my event would lose their memories and forget everything that had happened. By the way, my room is out of bounds. Also, don't bother trying to escape, Slowking had tried it with his group of Pokemon, but they failed miserably. Escape would just be a failure and a waste of time. I suggest you Pokemon just listen to my instructions and play the game. Good luck, and have fun!"

For some reason, Gligar began biting Axew ferociously. "Die now, cursed dragon!" Gligar unleashed an Ice Fang and bit into Axew's body. Axew writhed in pain. "Get off me you hideous bat!" Axew shouted. In that instant, a ray of pure energy struck the purple bat. Gligar died instantly.

"I hope that would serve as a deterrent to those who would want to give themselves up. I shall appoint a new murderer this instant. Done." Mewtwo said, with a deadly chill in his voice.

Slowpoke looked around, in the hope that he would see anyone flinch at being re-appointed as the murderer. No signs. The Pokemon had similar downcast expressions. "The Fantasy Games has begun. I wish you all the best." Mewtwo's declared, before teleporting away.

What followed soon after was a flooding of the park, caused by the rain of tears summoned from the Pokemon's eyes...

Author's note: Please leave some constructive feedback here, even if you didn't enjoy the story. I do want to improve on my work. Thank you


	4. A Good Record

Chapter 4 ( A "Good" Record)

(Slowpoke's POV)

In the midst of the sobbing and weeping, Growlithe stood up and growled. "We should stop crying and start planning to catch the murderer."

I nodded my head silently.

"I also think we should appoint a leader. Someone who is smart and confident, who is surely able to lead us in our capture of the murderer. Like me." he grinned boldly. Growlithe scanned the crowd of Pokemon, seeking approval.

However, all the Pokemon were looking at me.

"Did Mewtwo just say your dad won the Fantasy Games?" Mareep bleated with excitement

"How did he win?" Froakie croaked.

"Help us out of here!" Caterpie begged, with pearls of tears in his eyes.

"Woah, calm down guys! I... don't know... what to do..." I responded. I looked at the ground dejectedly. There was nothing I could think of, nothing to comfort them, nothing to solve this nightmare. I tried to say some kind words to soothe the Pokemons' soul, but all that I uttered were non audible stammers.

"Yeah, and we were about to elect him our leader. What a great leader he would be. Just because dumb Slowking had dumb luck does not mean that Slowpoke can repeat the same feat." Growlithe snarled mockingly.

"Oh do shut up for once Growlithe. Can't you give Slowpoke some time to come to his senses?" Mienfoo snapped. He was clearly frustrated at the arrogance exhibited by Growlithe time and time again.

(Growlithe's POV)

What the heck just happened? Here I was trying to help out for the first time and the stupid Pokemon chase me away? Why would they trust retarded Slowpoke to help? Slowpoke even needs the cursed Mewtwo to remove his 5 second reaction time. So much for my kindness.

All the while in my life I haven't attempted to be kind until this moment. What is my reward? Being rejected flatly without an acceptable reason. Stupid Pokemon. I shall not help them anymore. Let's see them fall to the murderer's hands. Let's see how far Slowpoke's "effective" leadership can bring them. In fact, I have doubts about Slowpoke now. I suppose that he is actually the murderer and he is trying to lead them to their deaths, slowly but surely.

As I saw the gullible crowd's cheers, I couldn't help it but frown with distaste. I think I can replace Natu as the fortune teller. In the future, only one thing awaits the useless Pokemon. Death.

(Slowpoke's POV)

The other Pokemon gave mumbles of agreement. Growlithe, feeling exasperated at what he deemed as stupidity at its highest level, walked away in defiance. Just like that, I was now appointed their leader. I do think this move is rather stupid. Why have a leader when one is not even sure who the murderer is.

And now, due to my dad winning the games, the Pokemon now start thinking that I too am equally capable of helping them survive in this event. Little did they know about my 100% lose record in chess. So much for my perceived intelligence.

I tried to convince them not to appoint me as their leader. " I can't help you. I... am not capable enough. Why not you find someone else?"

"Because there is no other Pokemon as smart as you Slowpoke." Treecko remarked. "Apart from Natu, there is no other Psychic Pokemon here. I'm sure Natu wouldn't want to be a leader."

Natu, found hiding near a tree, shook her head rapidly at the idea of being in charge. "No thanks." she chirped meekly.

"But... I don't have any ideas..." I sputtered. "It is okay, you can think of them as time goes by. You know, gather some clues from murders, read facial expressions and so on. I'm sure you can do it." Treecko gave me an encouraging smile. "Right folks?" There was loud cheering and rounds of applause. The Pokemon's faces had signs of renewed enthusiasm and hope. I surveyed the crowd, hoping to find one Pokemon looking stranger from the majority's expression. No chance. Everyone looked upbeat.

Except Growlithe. In the distance, I saw him giving a nasty frown. I sensed something amiss. Growlithe must be the murderer. I just need more evidence to find him guilty.

Author's note : Thank you for reading so far. I would sincerely appreciate it if you were to give some feedback! In this way, when I implement your suggestions into the next chapter, your reading experience would surely improve :)


	5. Taste of Infatuation

Chapter 5 (Taste of Infatuation)

(Slowpoke's POV)

The sunset that day was unusually beautiful, with its warm orange ray caressing the soft earth. The vast sky glowed into a vermillion shade of orange. It gave the Pokemon a glimmer of security, like they would all survive this ordeal. The Pokemon, including Growlithe gathered in the dining hall for dinner.

"Remember, take only what is yours. Any form of thievery is punishable by death." Mewtwo's emotionless voice emitted through the speakers on the ceiling of the dining room. "Also, do cherish the food you have. For every day without a murder, the quality of food would deteoriate. However, after a murder, the food given would be much tastier for 2 days. Murderer, make your choice."

After Mewtwo finished his reminder, Mareep said briskly: "Ignore that idiot. Let's eat our meal."

The food given was distinctly lousier than the food given the day before. The abundance of food shrunk to limited servings. There were even some rotten berries given, albeit in small quantities.

Mareep put some of her berries on a plate in the middle of the table and said: "These are for Gligar." Other Pokemon immediately followed suit. Their innocent act was a small tribute to the deceased bat. Only Growlithe, Axew and Treecko didn't.

Many eyes stared daggers at the trio. Growlithe retorted: " I want to stay alive. To do that, I need every single bit of food I can take."

Axew looked embarassed and said: "Gligar kept annoying me. Even before he died he attacked me with his Ice Fang." But seeing that she failed to convince anyone, she sheepishly put a berry on the plate, feeling guilty about her pettiness.

Treecko, however, was silent. Something surely must had made her unusually miserable. It was completely different from her jolly emotions earlier. Maybe she just took a longer time to feel the full impact of their ill-fated situation. She slowly took a berry and consumed it. This process repeated until there was only one berry left. "Don't you want to give Gligar anything?" Mareep asked gently. Treecko appeared to not hear her. She repeated her slow graceful motions, and ate the last berry. Treecko then looked up and said: "Did you say something?" Mareep shook her head tactfully, and continued with her own meal. I however, was concerned about Treecko's peculiar behaviour. "Is everything okay?" I asked her, with genuine concern in my voice. "Yeah, it is just..." Treecko couldn't complete her sentence. Misery was clearly written on her crestfallen face. Her sniffles turned to cries as torrents of tears cascaded down her emerald cheeks. "Oh come on don't be so sad! Here are some napkins!" Mareep tried to defuse the situation, but in vain. Seeing Treecko's sobs, the other Pokemon began wailing in grief, and even Mareep couldn't stop herself.

Growlithe was apparently getting fed up with our crying and roared: "Stop moping about and start doing SOMETHING! I don't want water in my food, or else I would give all of you a sound thrashing." Growlithe's eyes narrowed with vexation. Quickly finishing his food, he walked off again in the same defiant manner. I suspect he was about to say "I would kill you".

As darkness descended upon the Fantasy, everyone went to their rooms. As a warning, I advised the Pokemon to lock their doors. But it seemed redundant, as whoever wanted to stay alive should have locked their doors. I lay on my bed, trying to think of plans to trap the murderer.

Dad, why wouldn't you come and rescue me? I don't want to die. How could you forget this terrible event? And I thought you said "I am the best Psychic ever." How could you boast like this and still forget such an unforgettable incident?" As I tossed and turned, thinking and planning, deleting the useless ideas, I found myself back to square one. Without any idea or clue to capture the murderer. Whatever plan I think of, the murderer would know if I were to disclose it to the Pokemon. But if no one helps me, I surely cannot execute the plan myself. What am I to do?

I decided that I definitely could not sleep anytime soon, so I went out for a walk. There's no point forcing sleep. It never works. Forcing sleep uses brain power but if your brain is awake you would not feel sleepy. Maybe I could gather some ideas outside.

I walked out of my room and locked my door. That is strange. I do not even have any belongings inside. What thief am I afraid of? Suddenly a brainwave struck. Maybe the murderer would strike tonight. As he leaves his room (or her, I am too lazy to add the extra feminine term), maybe he would not lock it.

I walked around the corridor, casually attempting to open the doors of other rooms. No such luck. They were all firmly shut. Maybe my idea wasn't so great. After all, even if one wasn't in his room, he should have locked it to prevent traps from being smuggled in. Wait... that's it! The murderer has no reason to lock his door as no one would want to sneak anything into his room. So whoever leaves his door open has a high possibility of being the murderer!

But what if, the murderer had already thought of this and locked his door? What if the innocent just forgot to lock or didn't bother to lock? Strong Pokemon like Mienfoo didn't have to worry about people killing him. He could easily overpower them.

I continued my mini journey down the hallway, checking the Pokemon's doors, and suddenly, I chanced upon a door that was unlocked! The label at the entrance was "Treecko's room". I opened the door slightly, and noticed that she was not in her room. Oh no! She might be killing someone right now! I quickly retraced my route, knocking doors with increased haste and urgency, hoping to either ensure the Pokemon's safety or to catch Treecko in her act.

Knock Knock! I knocked on Drilbur's door. No response.

Knock Knock! I knocked on Caterpie's door. No response.

Knock Knock! I knocked on Axew's door. "THE MURDERER IS HERE!" Axew screeched.

Taken aback, I quickly reassured her: " Hush! It is me, Slowpoke. I was just checking if all the Pokemon are okay."

Axew, not opening the door, shooed me away. " Just go back to sleep. Shoo. By the way, Treecko must be the murderer. I know it." she asserted.

Feeling surprised at her confident tone, I asked: " How would you know?"

"Cause Treecko is positively evil." Axew hissed. "And I'm not just saying that cause I don't like her. It is because of her vile behaviour that I dislike her, and the reason why she is the murderer."

"Oh okay, I will keep an eye on her." I replied with an amused tone, before bursting into laughter at her circular logic. "Oops, sorry." I tried to compose myself, before the smile on my face erupted into giggles.

"Go away!" the little dragon roared.

Forgetting about my suspicion about Treecko, I resumed my walk around the Fantasy. I saw a staircase that supposedly lead to the highest floor of the building. Feeling curious, I climbed up.

I spotted Treecko sitting behind a window, staring into the midnight sky. Her green skin shone like emeralds when exposed to the shining moonlight. Her sleek body was fixed to the ground, like a statue. Her dark green tail was large but pretty, with two cute lumps at the end of the tail.

Was she planning a murder? "A penny for your thoughts?" I asked. Treecko nearly jumped out of her skin. "I... couldn't sleep... so I decided to stare at the stars. This is what I do when I cannot sleep."

"Why are you so scared?" I continued. I thought only the guilty ones would have such a strong response. She spun around. Her glowing yellow eyes had signs of fear in them.

As if she could read my mind, she replied nervously. "So would you if someone appeared behind you in the middle of the night. Especially when that Pokemon could be the murderer."

Seriously, what is wrong with these Pokemon. Why do they all think I am the murderer?

"Treecko, I am not the murderer. I... just..."

"Want to go out and kill the sleeping ones." Treecko attempted to complete my sentence.

"No! You have to believe me! I am not the one!" I was startled. I tried to keep calm but beads of cold sweat were trickling slowly down my round head.

"Relax, I was just joking. That was just to let you experience the shock I had earlier." Treecko smiled warmly. "You know, I just realised that since you are alone here, if I was the murderer, I could easily kill you now. There wouldn't be any clues if you are going to die upon contact with my Leaf Blade." she smirked.

She raised her tail and it transformed into a deadly dagger, poised for the kill. The dark green tail began to glow into a dazzling white. I was petrified. My legs, however much I urged them to run, remained rooted to the spot. So, my life is going to end so quickly? Terror-stricken, I shut my eyes and trembled like a leaf...

The blade never arrived.

"Hahaha! Scaredy bear! Fooled you again!" Treecko chortled. I opened my eyes, and gazed at her, still feeling intimidated. "Oh don't be so afraid. I would never hurt you. You are too cute!" she giggled as she pulled my cheeks.

I blushed. Luckily, in the dark setting she couldn't see that. I became tongue tied. " I.. think I should be going..." I stammered with much difficulty. "Okay, goodnight! I think I should go back to sleep soon." Treecko replied with a such a pleasant smile that I would not forget anytime soon. With that, we walked back into the corridor.

As we stopped by Treecko's room, she chirped gaily: "Thanks for the happy time today." And she gave me a quick peck on my cheek. "Goodnight!" she called as she shut her door.

I was moonstruck.

Author's note : Thank you for reading so far. I would sincerely appreciate it if you were to give some feedback! In this way, when I implement your suggestions into the next chapter, your reading experience would surely improve :)


	6. A Foolish Mistake

Chapter 6 A Foolish Mistake

(Croagunk's POV)

It was a quiet night. I tossed and turned in my sleep, racking my brains on possible identities of the murderer. But I soon realised that this attempt was fruitless. The murderer has not even started his or her first attack. Thankfully, I doubt I would be the first victim.

My unique Poison and Fighting typing gave me only 1 glaring weakness, Psychic. However, I'm sure I can deal with the Psychic Pokemon in this event. Natu was weak. Slowpoke was slow. If I unleash my Shadow Ball quickly, they would not stand a chance.

Consoling myself that there was still worth in thinking who the murderer could be, I thought of using the potential victim as a clue to who the murderer could be. Let's take Caterpie as an example. If he was killed first, I would have good reason to suspect Growlithe as the murderer. Being a Bug type, Caterpie would be roasted easily by fiery attacks.

With all those thoughts in my head, trying to sleep proved to be a challenge. I then lay in wait for anyone to come and visit me. Maybe I can stop the murderer. Massaging my limbs, I waited with bated breath for a visitor.

I heard some voices in the corridor. Was there an alliance? I was thinking of peeping out but I was afraid that I would be discovered. But the voices didn't seem secretive and hushed, as I thought criminals would be. Maybe I was being paranoid. Or worse, my ears were playing tricks on me. I lay on my bed, coaxing myself to sleep, only to toss or turn every minute. Believing that the others would also be like me, I felt slightly relieved, thinking that no one should be at a disadvantage.

Approximately half an hour waltzed past. Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door. It seemed urgent. Oh gosh, was the murderer here? I got out of bed, but decided not to open the door yet. The knocks continued. It appeared frantic as the knocks were at a rapid pace. I thought that maybe the murderer could be chasing the poor fellow outside my room. I should save him or her. Without switching on the lights, I hastily opened the door.

The unknown figure rushed in my room like a mighty gale. My brain finally became alert. This stranger was definitely the murderer! All I had to do was to reveal his or her identity, which for now I shall call the murderer as "it".

I reached for the lights, but the murderer was quicker. It leaped and smacked my hands. Ouch. Why was that hit so painful?

From this I can already rule out certain Pokemon. Natu would be ruled out as it did not look like the dark image that I saw earlier. Although the surroundings were very dim, but I could make out a few features, such as the height of the murderer. Natu was simply too short to be the murderer. Slowpoke was also unlikely to be the murderer as he was too slow. I doubt that he used Trick Room as I do not see the familiar violet background that appears when Trick Room is used.

I unleashed a Shadow Ball. The eerie indigo sphere emerged from my hands and charged towards the murderer. Sadly, the murderer dodged it. In my surprise, I did not see the murderer whack my head. I felt the same sharp pain as before. Blood spurted from my temple like a raging waterfall. I yelped in pain. I tried to use a Drain Punch attack but being slowed by the pain, the murderer easily evaded my attack.

Come to think of it, the murderer also cannot be Caterpie because of his different physical build. It could be one of the few "ninjas" (Chimchar Froakie Treecko) or Mienfoo. Kecleon, Axew and Growlithe might not be the murderer because of their slightly deviant body characteristics. But then again I did not have a good look due to the bad lighting. So I cannot rule them out yet. And maybe I cannot rule out those Psychic types. Maybe they used their Psychic powers to disrupt my vision and conjure hallucinations. I could be receiving damage through their Psychic rather than actual physical damage!

And because of my unnecessary thought, my reward was a quick slash on my shoulders. Dark red blood oozed out of my lacerated wound. I simply did not understand why all the attacks I received were so powerful. It surely did not feel like a Psychic attack. Wait... why am I still wondering? "Stop thinking and start acting!" I screamed to myself. I opened my mouth to call for help but my open wounds were sapping my limited vitality. In a desperate attempt I lunged for the lights and finally managed to switch them on. But it was too late. My foolish mistake has cost me my life.

Upon seeing the murderer, I gasped. The murderer, seeing that its identity had been revealed, looked worried. It struck me again, and darkness enveloped me. Whether it was due to the murderer turning the lights off, I do not know.

Author's note: For the last paragraph it might seem unrealistic as Croagunk still calls the murderer "it" rather than its identity. I apologise for this but it was necessary as I write this chapter as I do not want readers to immediately know the identity of the murderer. I hope you would understand

Please leave some reviews and comments on what you like or dislike. Feel free to give suggestions for the next chapter (etc: who dies next or if you want more personal voice and so on)


	7. New Tensions Spawn

Chapter 7 New Tensions Spawn

(Froakie's POV)

Absol reappeared on the gigantic mountain. It looked at me, eyes filled with mock pity. I deftly climbed up the mountain with lightning speed and sat next to him.

"Do you know who the murderer is?" I asked.

"Do I look like a Natu to you?" Absol replied with a straight face.

"Then, since you are the Master of the Dead, can you tell me if I am going to die?" I probed.

"I can only foretell deaths when they are going to happen soon. So, I am afraid I cannot satisfy your curiosity. But hey, death isn't too bad. Don't worry too much." Absol smirked. He wailed again, then turned around and bounded in the opposite direction. I tried to follow him, but he was simply too fast.

Boom! "Ouch!" I was snapped awake by these two distinctive sounds. Without hesitation, I sprang into action. I dashed out of my room and shouted: "Wake up! There is an attack!"

I caught sight of a shadow dashing away. "Stop!" I yelled. I began my pursuit of the shadowy being round the rectangular corridor. Wow, it was fast. I increased my pace and was steadily inching towards it. As it turned into a corner, my heart palpitated at the thought of an ambush. I deliberately slowed down, and tried to stay cautious. As I continued my chase, I stepped on a slippery liquid, which stopped all possibilities of another step as I fell on my buttocks. I squealed in pain. I was lying in a pool of blood, just that the blood was not mine.

I was confused. I took a careful look at the blood, and saw it trickling from Croagunk's room. Without further ado, I opened the door. When I saw the dead body of Croagunk, I screamed at the top of my voice.

(Slowpoke's POV)

I was awoken by a shrill scream. Has a murder occurred? I stepped out of my room, and saw a commotion near Croagunk's room. Several Pokemon were crowding around a distraught Froakie.

Just then, Treecko came from behind and asked: "What's going on?" Caterpie, accompanied by his "bodyguard" Mienfoo, crawled up and said: "Something happened!" I was about to laugh at this redundant answer, but when I noted the urgency in Caterpie's shaky voice, I resisted that urge and said: "Let's check it out."

Mareep's loud crying provided the answer. "Who killed Croagunk?" she cried. Treecko patted her on her woolly back, trying her best to comfort the little lamb.

"Treecko stop shedding Krookadile tears, you must have killed Croagunk!" Axew accused.

"What the hell! How would I kill him? Look at my weak Grass typing. How am I to defeat a Poison type like Croagunk? Wouldn't YOU have a better chance?" Treecko shot back, with her yellow eyes widening with rage.

How could it be Treecko? Wasn't she with me just now at the top floor of the Fantasy? I even saw her going back into her room. No, Axew was just being biased against Treecko. I wondered what happened between them.

Still, I decided that I had to prove Treecko's innocence. So I spoke: "No, it is definitely not Treecko. Just now, she was with me on the rooftop of this building. Anyway, we should not use Pokemon typing as clues to who the murderer might be…"

"Says the Psychic type." Growlithe sniggered.

My temper flared. "Maybe if you just gave some effort to listen, you would know that I am not anywhere near the crime scene!" I bellowed.

"Sorry, my usually sharp hearing becomes weak when listening to lies." Growlithe gave a fake apologetic look. "Oh, maybe you are right. Treecko isn't the murderer. You are the one!" he continued. "Because… argh! Stop it you stupid sheep!" he roared as he was paralysed by Mareep's Thunder Wave.

"Here we are trying to look for clues and there you are spouting nonsense and adding fuel to fire!" Mareep scolded. "I will only heal you tomorrow morning. That would teach you a lesson."

"Wait…what some bear takes advantage of this and kills me? You can't do this Mareep!" Growlithe protested, obviously trying to insult me.

"Apparently you haven't learnt your lesson, dumb canine." Mareep retorted, walking away.

"Please… cure me of my paralysis. You do not want to be indirectly involved in my death!" Growlithe pleaded.

Mareep, being magnanimous, reluctantly used Heal Bell. "Just this once…" she muttered.

Following this incident, I was even more certain that Growlithe is the murderer. I was so tempted to shoot Growlithe with a Water Gun. But I needed evidence. Strong, convincing evidence to convict that criminal. Once I find a lead, I can destroy this fiend with ease.

I wanted to inspect Croagunk's dead body, but I was too tired to do anything. Mewtwo seemed to have read my thoughts and told everyone: "I will remove this corpse, but I will create a replica of this body and leave it at this exact location for further inspection. Nevertheless, the rotten smell would be removed, but I assure you that the absence of the smell would not hamper investigations."

"Well, in that case I think we should have a good rest. We resume our investigations tomorrow." I said with false confidence. In actual fact, I don't even have an idea on examining Croagunk's corpse. Hopefully I would get some ideas tomorrow.

(Narrator)

The Pokemon nodded in unison. Although they seemed united in their actions, but their thoughts were clearly divided. After all, the murderer was still hiding amongst them. Trust among one another was dwindling every second, slowly but surely.

Author's note: Thanks for reading so far! Even if you don't like the story, please leave a review to help me improve on it. Thank you!

PS: Sorry if I took a long time to post a new chapter, I'm busy with schoolwork. However, if you would want me to speed up the update process, comment "update pls" and I would try my best to post a new chapter asap.


	8. Nasty Plot Forms

Chapter 8 Nasty Plot Forms

(Drilbur's POV)

After Slowpoke's suggestion, the tired Pokemon returned to their rooms silently. I suppose everyone was harbouring suspicions against one another. I, however, was not so rash. I decided to not waste my precious sleep by having useless thoughts. After all, it was only the first murder. Furthermore, there were too few clues to make a sensible judgment. It would be wiser to wait for the next day to examine Croagunk's dead body. I shuffled my feet and returned to my room, and promptly fell asleep.

The next day arrived, with the golden rays of the sun seeping into my room. Wow, I have not died yet. I was pleasantly surprised. I pinched my face to ensure that I was still alive. Ouch.

I walked towards the dining room and saw the other Pokemon nibbling on their breakfast. Everyone seemed shaken by the recent murder.

Breakfast was improved. A generous serving of crispy toast was complemented with a rich spread of strawberry jam. This came along with rich aromatic coffee, with a jar of sugar and milk nearby to cater to sweet tooths. However, this gave little reasons for the Pokemon to smile. After all, our friend Croagunk could not get the chance to savour this treat.

After our meal, Slowpoke called us along to inspect Croagunk's corpse for clues. Mareep shuddered. She was apparently afraid of the idea of looking at a dead body.

We went to Croagunk's room, and saw the corpse still in its original position. I was awed by Mewtwo's powerful Psychic powers.

"So… let's get to work. There are cuts on his hands, a slash wound on his forehead, scratches on his shoulders, and a deep incision on his stomach. Apparently the murderer has access to something sharp. That could come from either the murderer's limbs or a sharp object." Slowpoke spoke as he looked closely into Croagunk's body.

"I am so sure that the murderer would deliberately leave the sharp object in the room to let us catch him. So very kind of the murderer." Growlithe yawned sarcastically.

Ignoring the orange puppy, Treecko asked. "So who do you suspect?"

"Treecko stop pretending. Your lying skills are terrible. Look at Croagunk. He died due to slash and scratch wounds. Apart from you, who else can perform this murder?" Axew declared, oblivious to the fact that there are two other Pokemon, Chimchar and Froakie, who can perform similar feats. She was promptly jolted by a mild electric shock.

"Stop accusing Treecko without any rhyme or reason. It is silly to make decisions based on your animosity towards her." Mareep bleated.

"Yeah, stop targeting me Axew. Anyone could have caused scratch marks. Chimchar, Froakie and even this mole Drilbur could have done it. But do I suspect them immediately? No." Treecko grumbled.

"That's because you are the murderer. It would make no sense for you to accuse others." Axew countered, still afflicted by the paralysis

"Congratulations, you have just given me one more reason not to free you from your paralysis." Mareep admonished.

"Argh… fine I am sorry okay?" Axew grunted reluctantly, before sighing in relief as Mareep freed her from her miniature torture.

Slowpoke motioned to speak: "I guess we cannot really find out much from one murder. I guess we would have to wait for more clues."

"Or do you mean more murders? So you are going to just sit here and watch us die one by one. How very efficient of you." Growlithe growled, voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Hey, that is very mean of you!" Mienfoo yelled. The Pokemon nodded their heads, murmuring with agreement.

"So that is what I get for being direct. I get criticism for speaking the hard truth. Okay, I'm so sorry. I think we are so safe. No one is going to die. Hurray." Growlithe muttered.

Actually, Growlithe is right in a way. If no one is going to die, there is no way we can gather any more information. He was simply too direct in his words. I think even Slowpoke knows this but of course he cannot claim he needs more deaths to find out who the murderer is.

"Greetings Pokemon, this is Mewtwo. From what I noticed, I think I have to make new additions to the game. The game would simply be too boring if it were to continue. So what I intend is to give the murderer several new items for him or her to carry out the murders.

This includes

A Zoroark disguise cloak. When put on, the user's body would disappear and he would have the shape of the Pokemon Zoroark. This cloak is so effective, that the real Zoroark would also be confused. However, the user still maintains his voice and movement. This means that if the user walks with a limp, the "Zoroark" would be seen limping. Moreover, once the user takes damage, the disguise would be lost. The user can also choose to remove the disguise anytime he or she wants, but do take note that once the disguise is removed, the cloak would be gone forever.

A matchbox with 3 matchsticks. Just an ordinary one. Like a Fire type move, it does heavy damage to Grass, Ice, Steel and Bug types.

A bucket of venomous sludge. This is found near the ceiling of the room where you Pokemon have your meals. The bucket would never topple by accident, only if a Pokemon deliberately pushed it. This means that the bucket would not topple even if one accidentally leans on it. Like a Poison type move, it does super effective damage to Grass types. So Treecko, you might have a disadvantage"

From Croagunk's room, we walked a few steps east to the dining room, where we saw a red bucket with the words "Sludge" written on it. A magical staircase had formed, causing the dining room to have two floors, where one can go to the second floor to push the bucket down.

"Next, there is a pool of toxic acid that can be summoned by the murderer at any point of this building by pointing to the area. However, this pool of acid takes 10 minutes to form, and if someone happened to be there during its formation, the formation would be delayed. Furthermore, to be fair to Treecko, this acid does not favour any typing and would cause a quick but painful death to anyone who steps on it. It is unlikely for anyone to accidentally step on it, for its presence is very obvious. It has a distinct violet colour.

Last but not least, there is this big ring that gives the murderer a massive speed boost for a short period of time when he or she puts the ring around his or her body. The murderer still can carry out normal activities. Just imagine a float ring being put around you. This "float ring" (the one used for water activities) gives the user a fixed amount of speed, independent of the user's normal running speed. The effect lasts for a short while, or until the murderer does not need it anymore.

Do note that all this are only for the murderer's use and they can only be used once. After the murderer does not need it anymore, it would just be left on the ground. This would be the place the murderer's last location.

That's all I have to say for now. Good luck on your quest for survival, my dear Pokemon." Mewtwo said.

"Well, this gives us more clues to find the murderer." Slowpoke said. "For example, a Fire Type would have little use for the matchsticks, and a Poison type would not need to use the bucket of sludge."

"But what if the murderer decides to use the tools that he or she does not need to confuse us further?" Chimchar suggested.

"Good point. Well, I guess the murderer does have the advantage." Mareep sighed.

Suddenly, an idea popped up in my head. You see, Mewtwo had to make the game more interesting. Why? Because I think he believes that the murderer cannot do anything much with his or her abilities. This probably implies that the murderer is something like a one-trick pony, which has to rely on sharp claws or finger blades or whatsoever.

Maybe I should try to bait the murderer out.

I spoke: "Since the murderer had killed one of us yesterday night, he might try that again. I suggest we appoint a sentry to stand guard. We change sentries every day. If a murder occurs, the sentry would be held responsible because if the murderer supposedly cannot sneak past the sentry, then if a murder still occurs, the sentry must be the murderer. If the sentry is under attack, then the sentry should scream and shout so we can catch the murderer quickly. Isn't that a great idea?"

"Wow, such great ideas coming from a simple mole!" Kecleon cheered in delight.

In actual fact, I wasn't that simple. I have a nasty plot in mind. I was trying to make Natu bait so that the murderer would be tempted to attack the weak Natu. This would end our mental torment as soon as possible once we catch the murderer. Natu might be killed, but I think that is the best idea.

"Who should be the first sentry?" Slowpoke asked.

I seized the opportunity. "I think Natu would make a fine one." I replied hastily.

Perhaps I was too fast. Everyone was casting strange looks at me. "Are you sure? Natu seems to be an easy target." Froakie commented.

"Nah, I'm sure we would come to Natu's aid quickly. Is that right Natu?" I smiled encouragingly.

Natu, devoid of confidence, tried to look brave and nodded her head silently.

"Okay then. Let's just stay safe for now. I think we should move around in groups of 3. I am sure that by sticking together, the murderer would be unlikely to attack." Slowpoke called.

The Pokemon dispersed from the dining room, in groups of three, as suggested by Slowpoke. Slowpoke's group only had Treecko and him, for Growlithe was unwilling to follow instructions, and preferred to go by himself. Maybe he was going to attack.

(Narrator)

Everyone just walked around exploring the place. It was a rather peaceful scene, with no attack being carried out. The only flaw in this picture was the lack of happiness in the Pokemon. Everyone was waiting for bedtime, so that they could carry out their plan Drilbur had suggested. Everyone believed that the plan would work. It sounded simple, but on how good the execution would be is another story.

Author's note: Please leave some comments on how to improve this story. Like maybe you could state if you found this long winded or too short etc. Giving constructive feedback would definitely benefit my story and your reading experience. Thank you!

PS: Sorry if I took a long time to post a new chapter, I'm busy with schoolwork. However, if you would want me to speed up the update process, comment "update pls" and I would try my best to post a new chapter asap.


	9. Nasty Plot Fails

Chapter 9 Nasty Plot Fails

(Narrator)

What would you do if you knew you were about to die in two days? Join a party and party to your heart's content? That sounds like a pretty logical choice.

But what if the party was the reason for your death?

(Natu's POV)

Mother Xatu had always told me, don't abuse the gift that Arceus had given us. We should always use our ability to foretell the future to help others, not to help ourselves in a selfish way. She also told me: "Never ever try to find out when you would die. Never try to cheat death by attempting to change destiny. If you do, you will fail, and Arceus would punish you." For that same reason, Xatu never ever told me when I would die. But being the curious one, I often defied her strict orders and attempted to peek into the future.

I knew I was about to die today. But at that time, about a year ago, as my Psychic powers were not strong enough, I could not foretell the reason for my death. Well, I kinda know that I am going to be murdered today.

A tear rolled down my cheek. A few days ago, knowing that today I would die, I jumped at the opportunity to attend this fun party. I was having a lot of fun in the Fantasy until suddenly, about 25 hours before the beginning of "Murderer", I realised that this party had a sinister twist to it. It was a pity that I did not try to find out who the murderer is before Mewtwo locked my powers. Well, I would soon know. But whether I can inform others about the murderer's identity is another matter altogether.

I think one week before any Pokemon's death, Arceus should do them a favour and inform them that they are going to die. In this way, people can have a lot of fun and do everything that they have always wanted to do. In this way, people would not feel that their lives are "wasted". Imagine if you spend your entire life working and you meet with some fatal accident on your way home from the Pokemon Mart. That would be a great pity. Furthermore, the Pokemon can start asking Arceus for forgiveness for whatever bad things they have done, so as to not meet Giratina when they die. I uttered a prayer, begging Arceus to forgive me for trying to cheat death.

So here am I, in the rectangular corridor. Personally I think this idea is rather stupid. This rectangular corridor makes one sentry very inefficient and allows the murderer to actually sneak past the sentry, in contrast to what Drilbur was suggesting. Because the corridor has a big wall in between two rows of rooms, I would have to walk one big round to see what is going on the other side. There should be two sentries. If I was the murderer, I would just wait for the sentry to go on the other side before attacking someone else, simultaneously framing the sentry.

Also, there should be a roster. No one can simply expect me to stand guard for 8 whole hours. This is unrealistic. After 2 hours I am definitely calling someone to replace me. I shall probably call Drilbur, since he suggested this stupid idea. This would give him a taste of his own medicine. But I think I am going to die soon. The question is: How soon?

"Shuff." I flinched. What was that? In the distance, I heard some feet shuffling. Who was it? Oh, it must be Drilbur. Only moles shuffle their feet. But what was he doing here? Shouldn't he be asleep?

In the darkness, I saw a foxy silhouette moving about. It was attempting to be quiet, but in the silent surroundings, it was failing fruitlessly. I could make out its large, red, voluminous mane, which somewhat resembles a ponytail. It was definitely a Zoroark. This surely meant that the murderer was about to kill me.

Its red rimmed eyes widened as its blue irises gleamed. Its mouth curled into a malevolent smile. In short, I was doomed.

Nevertheless, it is my duty to ensure that the murderer gets caught. All I had to do was to destroy this disguise. All I needed was to land one Psybeam and voila, the disguise would be lost. I was sure that I could certainly hit that sinister mole with an attack. As the Zoroark shuffled his feet unsteadily, I knew that Drilbur was not used to his disguise cloak. I tried to sound confident. "Show yourself Drilbur." I commanded. But my voice was strained due to the shivering of my small body.

Without warning, Zoroark (or rather Drilbur) sprang forward and gave me a quick scratch on my tiny wings. I cried in pain. I shot a Psybeam but the Zoroark seemed to anticipate my move. It jumped sideways, narrowly dodging the purple beam. The Zoroark jumped onto the ceiling, and dived straight for my head. It crashed into me, knocking me backwards. In my dazed state, I could not parry the ferocious attacks launched by the Zoroark, as it unleashed a barrage of slashes. Every time I tried to summon a Psybeam, it was quickly stopped by Zoroark as it hit me, causing me to lose my focus. My crest on top of my head turned from vermillion to scarlet, due to the continuous blood stains splashing on it. In a desperate last attempt, I tried my best to shoot a Psybeam from my crest, but the murderer was one step ahead. It used its sharp claws to slice my crest off, leaving me powerless as the crest was what I depended on for my Psychic energy.

I lay on the ground, motionless as fresh blood spurted out of every part of my body. I was going to die. Maybe I should have screamed louder. Luckily, I saw one door open. In my dying state, my failing eyes only saw a figure. I heard a scream. The murderer, still in its Zoroark state, gave me one last stab before fleeing hastily.

The only thought remaining in my head was: How did drilbur become so fast? How could he manage to move with such dexterity when he was supposedly having trouble with the Zoroark disguise? As the murderer fled with a shuffle in his feet, I could not comprehend the logic behind this. But what does it matter? As I drew my last breath, I uttered a quick prayer to Arceus, hoping he would forgive me for reading my future...

Author's note: Please give me some tips to improve my writing. I hope I have been doing a good job. As I am very busy with schoolwork, please understand if I take a long time to update. Nevertheless, if you were to comment "update" here, I would try to update the story asap. Thank you so much!

PS: Special thanks to reader Lonely Peasant from Pokemonshowdown . com who asked for the update. I feel so motivated :D


	10. Nasty Plot Backfires

Chapter 10 (Nasty Plot Backfires)

(Froakie's POV)

As expected, Absol reappeared on the mountain. The scene was the exact same as before. But of course, this was a dream.

"Tell me Absol, who is the murderer? Surely you can ask Croagunk. He died 2 days ago. Didn't you see him?"

"Hmm… as much as I would like to ask him, you must understand that dead Pokemon take time to travel to the Land of the Dead. Even so, it is quite hard to locate the exact Croagunk that died in this event. There could be many dead Croagunks in there anyway. I am unable to tell which Croagunk was the one that got killed in this game." Absol replied.

"Oh, I just found out, Natu has just died. She is on the way to join Croagunk. If you hurry now, you might catch the murderer." Absol said nonchalantly.

"WHAT?" I squealed. I was jolted from my slumber. I dashed out of the room, only to see a Zoroark image running away. Determined not to let the murderer run away, I sprinted after the Zoroark.

I put on a burst of speed. "Stop running!" I commanded. I noticed the murderer had a strange shuffle in his steps. Was it Drilbur? Although I have never took notice of Drilbur's movements, but this shuffling of feet sounded like him. After all, for every step I took, the gap between me and the murderer was shrinking. I was about to catch him!

Strangely, once the Zoroark noticed that I was catching up, he increased his pace. The shuffling of feet seemed to have reduced. I was surprised. Was this Drilbur? Or were my eyes playing tricks on me? The gap between us was beginning to widen. I started to wonder if it was a Drilbur trying to sprint, or someone else trying to masquerade as Drilbur.

The murderer started to dash frantically. In the darkness, I simply could not run too fast. I was afraid that I would knock into a wall, giving the murderer a chance to kill me. This was partly because I had once injured my head a few years ago. I was playing tag with a Ponyta when my head went smack into a tree. This gave me a slight phobia of running too quickly. Nevertheless, the murderer was a tad too daring. He just kept dashing round corners, and eventually reached a junction. To the left would be the park that we were at during the first day of the party, before the Fantasy Games. To the right was the dining room, where we would have our meals. I did not see which way he went.

When I finally reached the junction, I stood for a moment, before heading to the park. I suspected that the murderer would try to hide in the trees. Anyway, I doubt there was any other way out of the park, so there was no need for me to make haste. I treaded carefully, being extremely careful not to fall into an ambush.

I climbed up the trees, and called : "Come out you coward!" I waited for any signs of movement. Apparently there was none. I decided to wait for ten minutes, eyes peeled for any signs of movement.

After 10 minutes, I realised that the murderer had probably ran the other way towards the dining room. Feeling dejected, I headed back to my room.

(Slowpoke's POV)

"Knock Knock." "Wake up! Natu is dead!" a frantic voice called.

I woke up. Huh? Who was calling me? I thought I heard some noises.

"Wake up! Natu is dead!" the voice repeated. Oh, that was Treecko. Wait what? Natu is dead?

I rushed out of my room and asked: "What is going on?"

Treecko responded: "I was awoken by someone shouting 'Stop running'. I think it sounded like Froakie. Then when I got out, as I walked a few steps, I tripped over Natu's dead body. She was killed!"

"Wait... if you see Froakie chasing the murderer, why didn't you help out? Don't you run fast too?" I asked

"I am not even sure if it was Froakie. But I was already far away from the one who was trying to catch the murderer. So in that case, the distance between me and the murderer would be too far. Even if I help, what can I do? This place is so big. Nevertheless, I have a plan to catch the murderer." Treecko replied.

"Huh? What idea do you have?" I was sceptical about Treecko.

"Do you agree with me that the murderer would not be in his or her room right now?" Treecko asked.

"Er... yes?"

"Do you agree that the innocents should be sleeping right now?"

"Yes.. so?"

"Therefore, since someone is already chasing the murderer, the murderer should be hiding somewhere far away from here. So I plan to wake everyone up and gather them here. Then, I would do a headcount, and find out who is absent. The absent one would be the murderer, as he would not know that he or she is supposed to gather together with the here there are only two pathways for the murderer to run to, towards the park or the dining room. So whoever would walk from that direction is a possible suspect."

" But I thought you said that someone was chasing the murderer? Then how would you know which one of the two Pokemon is the one we are supposed to catch?" I asked.

"Well, it is unlikely that the murderer would return to his room anytime soon, so it is likely the Pokemon that would come back later would be the murderer. " Treecko responded.

"That sounds logical." I commented. Treecko and I then went in two different directions, waking the Pokemon up.

"Wake up Mareep!" I called.

"Wake up Caterpie!" I called.

From the distance, I could hear Treecko waking others up. "Wake up Chimchar!" she called.

As I finished waking several Pokemon, I saw Froakie walk near me. What was he doing here? "Why are you already awake?" I asked. I was suspicious. Why would someone even go to the park or the dining room at the middle of the night? There definitely would not be any food available. Was he the murderer?

"I was chasing the Zoroark illusion. But he got away. I thought the murderer would go to the park but I think he has escaped into the dining room. I am not sure where he is now."

I found his answer strange. If the murderer did go to the dining room, why on earth did Froakie take so long to return? Something is not right.

I told Froakie about Treecko's plan to catch the murderer. Froakie just nodded his head. He seemed exhausted from running. Treecko had just finished waking everyone else up. She walked towards us, and said: "Oh you have woken up pretty early Froakie."

"Oh no, he was already awake." I replied. "The murderer got away from my clutches. Luckily, with your plan of yours, it seems like we can finally go home." Froakie wheezed, still tired from his chase.

Before long, the other Pokemon had gathered around Natu's dead body. Mareep was bleating with misery.

"Okay, let's do a headcount. We shall see who is absent." Treecko declared. "Mareep, Slowpoke, Growlithe, Caterpie…" and she counted everyone but Drilbur. "Where is the mole?" Growlithe growled.

"Maybe he isn't in his room. He probably needed to hide somewhere to remove his Zoroark disguise." Froakie asserted. "Yeah that sounds logical. But how do you know he was using his Zoroark cloak?" Kecleon asked curiously.

Froakie told his tale about the chase of the murderer. He also told the Pokemon about the murderer's shuffling of feet. "I am very sure that Drilbur is the murderer. Look, the murderer shuffles his feet, so does Drilbur. Furthermore, why isn't Drilbur here? Treecko and Slowpoke have already woken everyone up. The only conclusion is that he is not in his room, and is probably hiding somewhere." Froakie declared.

The Pokemon nodded in agreement. "But maybe he is in a deep sleep." Treecko remarked.

"I think that is too much of a coincidence." Growlithe countered. "Maybe we should check on him now."

We headed to Drilbur's room, which was coincidentally very near the junction between the park and the dining room. But as we headed to his room, we saw Drilbur walking towards us. Strangely enough, I was unsure if he had came out of his room or he had arrived from somewhere else. I only saw Drilbur walking towards us.

(Drilbur's POV)

I heard some footsteps walking towards my room. Argh, my sleep was disturbed. I decided to take a short walk around this corridor. I walked out of my room, locked the door quickly and walked westwards. From afar, I noticed that everyone was heading towards me. I wondered what they wanted to do with me. I hastened my footsteps, and walked towards them. Strangely, when I walked closer, I noticed that the expressions of the Pokemon looked rather peculiar. It was not the typical expression that I used to see.

I saw Growlithe glaring at me.

"Why weren't you with us Drilbur?" Growlithe questioned.

"What? Why am I supposed to be here? What happened?" Drilbur replied. He was obviously surprised.

"Didn't you hear Slowpoke waking us up?" Mareep asked. "I thought it was rather loud."

(Slowpoke's POV)

The corridor was filled with two rows of rooms, so I took the first row while Treecko took the second row. Actually, Drilbur's room was in the second row, so maybe Treecko wasn't loud enough. But if everyone else in the row could hear it, I doubt the problem was with Drilbur's hearing. Moles are supposed to have sharp hearing.

(Drilbur's POV)

"What are you talking about? I didn't even hear you." I rebutted

"Walk five steps." Froakie commanded

What the heck? Why did they want me to walk? One, two, three, four, *shuffle*, five.

"I knew it! That was the shuffling sound I heard. When I was chasing the murderer, he walked with an occasional shuffle in his steps. That's why he wanted Natu to be the sentry. He could use the chance to get rid of the weak Natu! Notice he isn't even in his room, or else he would have woken up when Slowpoke or Treecko called him. It all fits into place!" Froakie shouted. Without further thought, he launched a Bubblebeam in Drilbur's direction.

I evaded the stream of bubbles, but with much difficulty. Froakie fired a series of Water Shurikens. This time, I could not dodge it and was hit by the swarm of ninja stars. I tried to flee by using Rapid Spin. I spun away, but Froakie was determined not to let me escape. Froakie leaped upwards with a Bounce attack, before attempting to crash into me. But I seized the chance to defend myself. I quickly used Hone Claws, sharpening my large claws before using a powerful Slash attack. Froakie was caught off guard and was sent flying through the air, landing with a loud thud.

"It is not me!" I wailed. "I did not even hear anything. I was asleep!"

"Does anyone else notice that the slash mark on Natu and Croagunk looks very similar to Drilbur's claws?" Chimchar pointed out.

That did the trick. The usually calm and composed Mienfoo became convinced that I was the murderer. With a savage battle cry, it soared in the air and unleashed a strong Jump Kick. I was thrown backwards, only to be soaked in another stream of Bubblebeams. I could not take the damage any further. I slumped to the ground and closed my eyes. My plan to make Natu bait had backfired. Froakie must have believed that I wanted to kill Natu. Why wasn't the murderer caught? And why didn't I wake up when Slowpoke supposedly called me to. Why...

(Narrator)

"Yes! The murderer is finally dead! Let's celebrate!" Froakie yelled in delight.

"With a sumptuous breakfast!" Mewtwo laughed. "The murderer is still alive! Hahaha!"

"What?" Froakie was aghast. His face was ashen, knowing that he had just killed an innocent.

"It sure fits into place. You are a half-witted frog." Growlithe sneered.

For once, the Pokemon were in agreement with Growlithe. Many were muttering about how rash Froakie and Mienfoo were. Even Axew did not blame Treecko like she usually did. But ironically, no one noticed that they themselves did not bother to stop Froakie. They let him attack Drilbur because they believed that his plan would work, without bothering to check for loopholes.

But the question is: What was wrong with this plan?

Author's note: Author's note: Please give me some tips to improve my writing. Even if you find this really terrible, at least tell me why it is bad. I hope I have been doing a good job. As I am very busy with schoolwork,(like REALLY busy) please understand if I take a long time to update. Nevertheless, if you were to comment "update" here, I would try to update the story asap. Thank you so much!

PS: Thank you Grammar Nazi for reminding me to use Slowpoke instead of Slowking. That was a really bad error of me. :)


	11. Inertia Reigns Supreme

Chapter 11 (Inertia Reigns Supreme)

(Caterpie's POV)

I was just walking into the park for a short walk. I gazed into the trees. I glanced at the old slide, the one where Mienfoo had helped me stand up against Growlithe. I was crestfallen. I wished I could still slide down the slide with pure bliss like I used to. Even if Growlithe jumps the queue, I would surely let him have his ride. I wouldn't mind him cutting into my queue a hundred times.

I saw Mienfoo at the exact same spot, the spot where he shooed Growlithe away. He looked at me expectantly. "Why are you here Mienfoo?" I asked.

"I have something to tell you Caterpie." Mienfoo replied with a stony face.

"What is it?"

"I am only pretending to protect you. In fact, I am the murderer." Mienfoo's stony face twisted into a hellish one as he lunged at me with a Jump Kick..." "Arrghh!" I yelled.

Phew. I was still lying on my bed. That was a terrible nightmare.

Still, Mienfoo could actually be the murderer. He seemed fast enough. His flexible hands and nimble movements were a deadly combination. But the question would be: Why aren't I dead yet?

Maybe this would be because Mienfoo has a "responsibility" to protect me. With his assumed responsibility, any harm that befalls me would create suspicion against him.

But then again, I am so weak and useless that any attempt to kill me would definitely be effortless. Mienfoo could be going for the hardest opponents first. Croagunk and Natu's typing were definitely against him. So with his opponents gone, he could simply wipe me off the game if he wished to.

Why would he want to "take care of me" in the first place? Is his desire to help me genuine? After all, we didn't even know each other before? It would seem strange for him to be suddenly so heroic. There was little to gain from doing that.

Conscience pricked me. Why do I doubt so much? In this secretive atmosphere, doubt would just serve to alienate everyone from one another. If we do not trust each other, there is little reason for one to help others. If nobody is willing to lend a helping hand, the murderer would just win easily by killing us one by one. I guess I just have to stick with Mienfoo. After all, what are the odds of him being the murderer?

(Growlithe's POV)

"Hey Growlithe!". I was walking in a grass patch in Route 7 when my crush Vulpix suddenly appeared.

"Vulpix! Tell my Mom and Dad that I am stuck in this terrible place known as the Fantasy." I howled.

"What? Why is it a terrible place?" Vulpix asked curiously. "Pokemon are dying in here!" I replied frantically. "Tell all the Pokemon in our village to come here and stop Mewtwo. Hurry!"

"Being nice will get you out of your troubles." the female vixen replied, before skipping off. "Wait!" I screamed, with tears streaming down my cheeks…..

"Chirp!" The annoying chirps of Kricketunes shook me from my dreamland. It was like they were laughing at my predicament. I remembered the dream. Maybe it was a sign telling me that I should start being kind and stop sneering at Slowpoke's plans. Then again, he didn't have any. I brushed that negative thought away. I needed to change.

But how am I going to suddenly become nice and friendly? It isn't my nature. Maybe I can start by replacing Slowpoke as the leader. In all honesty, Slowpoke is rather useless. I was about to say very when I realised that I needed to be more tactful. So if I replace Slowpoke and initiate something useful, maybe I can change the outcome of this terrible game.

So, here I am at the dining room eating a sumptuous breakfast. Because two Pokemon died yesterday, the food that we were given were actually delicious. Fried bacon and scrambled eggs were served, with a cup of milk that would never be empty. It would automatically refill itself when the volume of liquid in it was low.

Nevertheless, the Pokemon had no appetite at all. Two more Pokemon were killed. What is worse is that they all know that the murderer is still amongst them, eating the delectable food. Froakie felt terrible. All colour had disappeared from his face. What was left was a forlorn emotion as he nibbled on his food. After the wrongful execution of Drilbur, some Pokemon were thinking that Froakie had deliberately accused Drilbur to eliminate him from the Fantasy Games. Fortunately for him, others were sympathetic.

"Oh cheer up Froakie. We all know it was an accident. Right?" Mareep consoled.

"It isn't your fault, I mentioned about Drilbur's claws. Sigh… I wished I wasn't so hasty." Chimchar sighed sadly.

"Yeah don't feel so sad, you tried your best. I was partly at fault too. I didn't see the loophole in my plan." Treecko added.

"You probably abused the loophole to make sure that Drilbur gets caught in it so that Froakie can help you kill Drilbur you sly lizard." Axew demurred.

"What is wrong with you Axew? Your random accusations are not even funny anymore. You don't even have any solid proof!" Mareep bleated angrily.

"But I know it is Treecko!" Axew protested. "Why?" Slowpoke demanded. "Because I am a smart dragon. Also, it is a fact! Who needs evidence when the statement is fact? For example, it is common knowledge that the sun always rises from the West. There is no need for proof because it is true." Axew retorted.

"The sun rises from the East you dumbass." Treecko smirked. "What? I always thought it rises from the West. When I wake up from my cave in Floccesy Town I always see the sun rising from my left." Axew was truly surprised.

Actually, the plan that Treecko had didn't seem too bad. After all, it would have worked if Drilbur was sleeping in his room. It was just plain bad luck that he walked somewhere. I doubt it was because he couldn't hear Treecko's wake up call. I could hear it quite clearly then. The murderer was also too fast, being able to slip into his room before Treecko carried out her plan.

Okay, time to carry out with my plan. I need to replace Slowpoke as the leader. Only with that I can make some important changes so that the murderer would be caught as soon as possible.

I cleared my throat. "Okay guys, I believe that there is a genuine need for our leader to be replaced. If you do realise, our last two strategies by Drilbur and Treecko have failed. Why is that so? With all due respect, it is because these two Pokemon aren't very clever. But we cannot blame them. After all, they aren't Psychic types. The real reason why we need to replace Slowpoke is because of the fact that although he is supposedly smart, he has failed to come up with a single strategy to catch the murderer. You might argue that he needs more time to consolidate the clues given to him. But how many more murders do we need? Can we afford to wait for more of us to be killed in order to find the murderer? I think not. I believe that under my leadership, we will definitely have new ideas, new inspirations and no more murders. Think about it. Why isn't Slowpoke suggesting a strategy? Maybe it is because he is the murderer. Maybe he is not thinking of ideas to defeat the murderer, instead he could be thinking of ideas to kill us all! Give me a chance, and I promise you, we will catch the murderer in no time!" I declared with triumph.

I scanned my surroundings, looking for approval. All I received was blank stares.

"Well, who is in favour of my idea?" I asked.

"No one. " Treecko snapped. "Under your leadership, I bet you would make rash decisions and kill off Slowpoke as soon as possible just because you don't like him."

"Actually, if you really want to take over me, you can. I really don't mind." Slowpoke muttered. "You would see how difficult it is."

"No way! We can't let a bully control us! We aren't pushovers!" Mienfoo screeched. " You impatient puppy just can't give others time. No wonder why you tried to jump Caterpie's queue at the slide! I vote for Slowpoke!"

"Me too!" Chimchar chorused.

A series of approval roared from the crowd. No one wanted my help. All my efforts in trying to help them were in vain. Seriously, I did not expect them to be so stupid. All they are doing is allowing Slowpoke to cause their doom, either directly or indirectly. My blood boiled. A maddening rage engulfed me.

"You Pokemon are so stupid and timid that you are unwilling to accept a change! You Pokemon know that Slowpoke is useless. He has not helped us at all! Knowing this, why are you Pokemon reluctant to give me a chance? Just because I seem like a bully does not mean that I do not have the intellect to save us. Given a choice, don't you Pokemon rather get saved by a tyrant? Or do you want to die because of a weak benevolent ruler? I guess you Pokemon have made your choice. Don't expect me to help you Pokemon EVER AGAIN!" I stormed off the dining room, anger coursing through my veins.

As I walked aimlessly, a brainwave struck me. Maybe I could replace the stupid bear. After all, how can the dumb bear lead the rest if he is dead?

Author's note: Thanks for reading so far! Please give me some feedback on how I can improve. Thank you so much!

PS: Sorry if I took a long time to post a new chapter, I'm busy with schoolwork. However, if you would want me to speed up the update process, comment "update pls" and I would try my best to post a new chapter asap.


	12. A Fiery Touch

Chapter 12 ( A Fiery Touch)

(Slowpoke's POV)

The Pokemon finished their breakfast and left the dining room. They all had similar downcast expressions. I felt a stab of guilt. Growlithe did have a point. I have not done anything useful since the beginning of the game. I tried comforting myself, saying that there were too few clues to make a sensible judgement. However, I could not deny that I was being irresponsible and indecisive. For every second that I do not act, the murderer would seize the opportunity to carry out more murders.

I heaved a sigh as I trod towards my room. That emotionless, rectangular corridor awaited me as I walked towards it. I entered my room gingerly, looking around for traps. What was I thinking? After all, I locked the door.

I sat down on my bed, thinking of the possible identities of the murderer. So far, it seemed that the murderer was quick with his or her feet. ( To save time and effort for both me and the reader, I shall use the "he" term from now on) The murderer also seemed to have sharp claws. Either that, or he had a secret weapon which could be a knife. But the latter seemed unlikely. I doubt that Mewtwo would give these types of weapons. That would simply make the game too boring.

I scratched my head with frustration. The clues I was given was simply too few. There are too many suspects. Naturally my suspicions gravitated towards Growlithe since he is being such a nuisance, but I brushed the thought away. His meaness should not cloud my judgements.

Okay, this leads me to a few suspects like the three "ninjas" (Chimchar Froakie Treecko) and Growlithe. They fit into the clues provided. On second thought, I also cannot rule Pokemon like Kecleon and Mienfoo. Even if they were not so fast, they surely had the capabilities of carrying out the murders. Natu was an easy target.

I can't rule out Axew too. With her superior Dragon typing, it would not be too difficult for her to kill off stronger opponents like Croagunk. Her speed could be increased with an earlier Dragon Dance.

I mentally kicked myself. I have just suspected everyone other than Mareep and Caterpie. But then, there would also be no point ruling them out for now since there are still so many suspects. What a waste of time! I became disheartened. Maybe I should just let Growlithe take over. This would teach him not to be so arrogant as he would finally realise the difficulty of my job. I didn't even want this job in the first place. It was forced upon me by the innocent Pokemon who believed in history repeating itself. And why on earth is Slowking not here to rescue me?

I allowed tears to cascade down my round cheeks as I sunk onto my bed. Why did I register for this cursed event? "Did you know that you could have been sitting at home playing chess with your father Slowking? Since he won the Fantasy Games then, you were exempted from participating in this event. But it seemed like you wanted to join the fun!" Mewtwo taunted through telepathic communication. "ARRGH!" I screamed in rage. In my burst of anger, I flung a pillow across the room. I felt severely defeated. I lay on the soft bed and sobbed, with tears never ceasing to flow.

Knock knock. "Help me!" a panicky voice entered my room. With much difficulty, I woke up. I seemed to have lost track of time. Maybe I had fallen asleep. I was about to open the door when my mind pulled my hand away from the door handle. Woah, what was I thinking? That guy outside could easily be the murderer. I hesitated. I looked at the door, hoping to find a peephole. Unfortunately, it was not there.

I was about to ask the Pokemon outside for his identity when my nose picked up a burning smell. Was someone setting a fire outside my door? I hurriedly threw the door open, and released a Water Gun attack from my mouth. A gush of water went smack into Treecko's body. Treecko was knocked back and fell to the ground

"Oh I am so sorry Treecko! Are you okay?" I asked. What was she doing here? I was about to help her up when she rasped: "I am okay. Thanks for your help." I was confused. What did she mean? I had just blasted her with a torrent of water and she thanked me?

As if she could read my thoughts, she responded weakly: "You extinguished the fire from my body. I was idling in the rooftop when suddenly a blast of fire struck me. I ran away and I knew that you can save me since you are a Water type, so I headed to your room, hoping you were there."

I saw the burn marks on Treecko. Her pinkish stomach was a shade of brick red. Her elegant light green shoulders had darkened. I was horrified. Who could have done such an inhuman act?

I gently pushed Treecko back up, but she was too weak to stand. I then lightly pulled her to my room, where I treated her burns with plenty of water. As I poured water down her wounds, Treecko winced in pain. "Do bear with the pain Treecko." I said softly. In her exhausted state Treecko managed a warm smile. "It's okay Slowpoke, I can manage it. Just do what you need to do heal my injuries." "Next time, if you are experiencing fire on your body, lie down and keep rolling. This would help extinguish the fire, minimising your burn injury." I continued.

Damn you Growlithe I bet you are responsible for this. How dare you hurt sweet Treecko? Just wait til I convict you of your heinous crime.

After a while, Treecko indicated that she was feeling better. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much Slowpoke. You are such a dear." she beamed. Her dazzling smile left me spellbounded. I would do anything for that smile.

Following the attack on Treecko, I swiftly arranged a meeting with the other Pokemon. The Pokemon gathered in the dining room, just in time for lunch.

"I have a grave announcement to make. About half an hour ago, Treecko was attacked." I spoke. This was met with gasps from the crowd. The murderer actually dared to attack in broad daylight.

"I was at the rooftop when I was attacked by a fiery blast. It caused me the injuries you currently see." Treecko affirmed. The Pokemon looked at her sustained injuries. It was healed, but the mark was still there. "I rushed to Slowpoke's room and he helped me extinguish the fire that was burning my body." she continued.

"Wow that fire attack looks strong." Mareep's shock was clearly expressed from her widened eyes. "It looks like the act of a fire type." she commented, only to hear a ferocious roar.

"So you think it is me?" roared Growlithe. "Gosh, why are you so defensive? Who said it was you?" Froakie accused.

"You Pokemon just want to get rid of me. I am innocent!" bellowed Growlithe. "If you want to kill me, fight me now!"

"No one wants to fight you Growlithe. It is only you who wants to pick a fight!" I thundered. "I can see your guilty conscience radiating."

"Oh really, try finding some evidence instead of depending on steoreotypes you moron!" Growlithe challenged.

"Treecko's burns are decent evidence against you." I rebutted.

"Why aren't you suspecting Chimchar? He could have easily done the same!" Growlithe protested. "This is an unfair investigation. You are a biased leader!" the canine hollered with vehemence. Quickly finishing his food, Growlithe bounded away, howling with fury.

Once again, the appetite of the Pokemon was ruined. No one dared to do anything in this stormy atmosphere. Soon, the Pokemon took their leave, but Treecko decided to keep me company.

"It must be tough being a leader right? Growlithe is such a pain in the neck." Treecko remarked. "It is okay, I can deal with that rebel." I said with fictitious certainty. Truth be told, I was struggling with this imbecile dog. I needed him to be out of the way for me to carry out any plans.

Mealtimes were becoming a horrible experience. If Growlithe weren't rambling away with his rubbish, it was a deadly silence. Everyone was fearful of the frosty atmosphere. Growlithe was seen as a nuisance, but neither was I seen as a hero. I believed both of us were seen as selfish individuals who could not get along. But this wasn't my fault. If Growlithe had not decided to hamper my efforts, I would not be so nasty towards him.

After dinner, the Pokemon decided to have an early rest. I returned to my quiet room, and tried to go to sleep. I heard the same knock on the door. Oh? Why was Treecko here?

I opened the door and the green lizard stood there with a hopeful look on her face.

"Could I sleep here for the night? I'm afraid that the murderer would try to attack me again. If that were to happen, I don't think I would be able to cheat death another time." she pleaded. "I know you may not trust me that much but I won't harm you. I promise." I was skeptical. After all, in this event where no one trusts each other, promises mean nothing. But still, I was afraid Treecko would be harmed again. I couldn't bear to see her being scorched by another blaze. It seemed that my love for her took precedence over the need for my survival. Nodding my head carefully, I let her in. "If you are going to kill me, do it now Treecko." I said with a fake nonchalant tone.

As Treecko and I lay on the bed, she replied : "Never." as we drifted off to sleep. I assure you that there was nothing else going on so go and find some M rated story instead.

Author's note: Sorry for the long wait! I was busy with school tests. As always, if you are impatient, feel free to comment "Update pls" and I would do my best to upload a new chapter asap.

Also, please leave a review to help me improve my story. It could be grammar errors or plot problems etc. Thank you so much for your support!


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